The present invention relates to a low-gloss electronic whiteboard having anti-graffiti properties. Further, the present invention relates to a coating formulation that imparts anti-graffiti properties to electronic whiteboards. More specifically, the invention relates to an EB (electron beam) curable or UV (ultra violet) curable, low-gloss coating formulation for electronic whiteboards with anti-graffiti properties. The invention further relates to methods of manufacturing a low-gloss coating formulation.
Electronic whiteboards also referred to as interactive whiteboards, are powerful presentation tools that are touch sensitive. These can be connected to various devices such as a projector, a computer, DVD, and VCR.
Electronic whiteboards have optical and electronic capabilities to produce surfaces from which images can be reproduced, either on paper or digitally. Some electronic whiteboards may include a tray with virtual pens (e.g., magnetic or digital pens) and eraser. These pens can be configured to any color or width. When a pen is used on the whiteboard, it displays virtual ink that is fed through the computer to the projector. A person can write notes and pictures on the electronic whiteboard. The software that is available with the whiteboard can then take the virtual writing (e.g., digital image) and transform them to printed text. This text can be shared by various ways such as by printing, saving its digital copy, loading it online, or e-mailing.
Electronic whiteboards typically offer display spaces that function like oversize touch-screen computer monitors. In many of the high-tech whiteboards that have hit the market in the past few years, every mark made on the board can be saved on a computer and then easily uploaded to a website or broadcast to students at a distance.
Because of the capabilities that go far beyond those of traditional whiteboards, and due to their flexibility and convenience, electronic whiteboards are gaining popularity. They are being used extensively as teaching aids in classrooms to enhance lesson plans. Further, they are being used in business conferences to enhance presentations (e.g., PowerPoint presentations).
Electronic whiteboards, however, can have certain drawbacks. For instance, for electronic whiteboards that are designed for virtual pens, ink markers can be a very serious problem. This is because people often by mistake or by lack of knowledge, destroy the surface of these electronic whiteboards by writing on their surface by ink markers, especially permanent markers.
Thus, to avoid damage to the surface of these electronic whiteboards, whiteboards with anti-graffiti properties are desirable.
In addition, electronic whiteboards generally have high gloss surfaces. High gloss surfaces tend to create eyestrain and are difficult to see from certain angles. Thus, in many applications, low-gloss surfaces are desirable because they reduce eyestrain and can be viewed more easily from different angles.
Accordingly, there is a need for electronic whiteboards that have a surface with anti-graffiti properties. This would help provide a clean and re-usable electronic whiteboard surface.
In addition, there is a need for electronic whiteboards with very low gloss. The low gloss property is useful in reducing eyestrain and facilitating the reading of contents on the electronic whiteboard effortlessly from different angles.